Joel C. Squires
{{short description|19th century American politician.}}
{{infobox officeholder
|name = Joel C. Squires
|order = 3rd
|title = Bank Comptroller of Wisconsin
|governor = Alexander Randall
| term_start = January 4, 1858
| term_end = January 2, 1860
| predecessor = William M. Dennis
| successor = Gysbert Van Steenwyk Sr.
|office1 = Member of the Wisconsin Senate
|constituency1 = 16th district
| term_start1 = January 3, 1853
| term_end1 = May 1, 1853
| predecessor1 = John Sharpstein
| successor1 = James Wilson Seaton
|constituency2 = 6th district
| term_start2 = January 5, 1852
| term_end2 = January 3, 1853
| predecessor2 = John H. Rountree
| successor2 = Duncan Reed
|state3 = Wisconsin
|state_assembly3 = Wisconsin
|district3 = Grant 1st
| term_start3 = January 3, 1870
| term_end3 = January 2, 1871
| predecessor3 = Joseph Harris
| successor3 = Joseph Harris
|party = Democratic
|birth_date = {{birth date|1819|12|11}}
|birth_place = Vienna Township, Ohio, U.S.
|death_date = {{death date and age|1889|3|3|1819|12|11}}
|death_place = Platteville, Wisconsin, U.S.
|restingplace = Greenwood Cemetery, {{nowrap|Platteville, Wisconsin}}
|spouse = {{marriage|Caroline M. Banfill|1850|1918}}
|children = {{unbulleted list
| Laura E. (Hendershot)
| {{sup|(b. 1850; died 1920)}}
| George Utley Squires
| {{sup|(b. 1852; died 1855)}}
| Elizabeth E. (Washburn)
| {{sup|(b. 1856; died 1939)}}
| Deforest Squires
| {{sup|(b. 1859; died 1861)}}
| Emily Theresa Squires
| {{sup|(b. 1869; died 1871)}}
}}
}}
Joel Cook Squires (December 11, 1819{{spaced ndash}}March 3, 1889) was an American carpenter, miner, Wisconsin pioneer, and Democratic politician. He was elected as the 3rd Bank Comptroller of Wisconsin, and also served in the Wisconsin State Senate and Assembly, representing Grant County.
Background
Squires was born in Vienna Township, Ohio, on December 11, 1819, and attended the public schools.{{cite news|title=Democratic State Legislature: Grant County|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/11888466/joel_squires_18191889/|newspaper=The Daily Milwaukee News|date=February 20, 1870|page=2|via = Newspapers.com|accessdate = June 24, 2017}} {{Open access}} He came to Wisconsin in 1838 and settled in the Platteville area in 1841. He died at his home in Platteville on March 3, 1889.{{cite news|title=Joel C. Squires|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/11888585/joel_squires_18191889/|newspaper=The Weekly Wisconsin|date=March 9, 1889|page=7|via = Newspapers.com|accessdate = June 24, 2017}} {{Open access}}
Public service
Squires was Clerk of the Grant County Board of Supervisors for 1849, 1850 and 1851; he was Clerk of the Circuit Court in 1851 and 1852. At that time a resident of Lancaster, Squires was elected to the State Senate from the Sixth District for the 1852 session. Squires, a Democrat, succeeded Whig John H. Rountree. At the time of election, he was 31 years of age and had been in Wisconsin for twelve years; he listed his occupation as "carpenter".{{cite report |url= http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/WI.WIBlueBk1853 |title= Manual for the use of the Assembly of the State of Wisconsin for the year 1853 |publisher= State of Wisconsin |year= 1853 |chapter-url= https://images.library.wisc.edu/WI/EFacs/WIBlueBks/BlueBks/WIBlueBk1853/reference/wi.wibluebk1853.i0015.pdf |chapter= Members and Officers of the Senate |page= 85 |accessdate= November 15, 2021 }}
After the Senate was re-apportioned and the Sixth District was shifted from the region around Platteville and the surrounding region to the Milwaukee area, Squires was succeeded by fellow Democrat Duncan Reed in the Sixth District, but was elected to the succeeding one-year term in the new Sixteenth District. On May 1, 1853, he resigned from the Senate; fellow Democrat James Wilson Seaton of Potosi was elected to fill his seat.[http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/WI.WIBlueBk1871 The Legislative Manual of the State of Wisconsin; Comprising Jefferson's Manual, Rules, Forms and Laws for the Regulation of Business; also, lists and tables for reference Tenth Annual Edition. Madison: Atwood and Culver, State Printers, Journal Block, 1871; p. 191]
He served as Register of the United States Land Office at Mineral Point, from 1853 to 1857, until he was elected the State of Wisconsin's Bank Comptroller (at that time an elected position), serving through the end of 1859.[http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/WI.WIBlueBk1870 The Legislative Manual of the State of Wisconsin; Comprising Jefferson's Manual, Rules, Forms and Laws, for the Regulation of Business; also, lists and tables for reference Ninth Annual Edition. Madison: Atwood and Rublee, State Printers, Journal Block, 1870; p. 250] He sought re-election in 1860, but was defeated by Republican Gysbert Van Steenwyk Sr.
In the Assembly
In 1870, now living in Platteville and working as a miner, he was elected for a single year term from the first Grant County Assembly district (the Towns of Hazel Green, Smeltzer and Platteville), succeeding Republican Joseph Harris. He received 465 votes to 437 for
Republican William E. Carter (Harris was not a candidate). He ran for re-election in 1871, but lost to Harris by 295 votes to 567 for Harris.
Electoral history
=Wisconsin Bank Comptroller (1857, 1859)=
{{Election box begin | title=Wisconsin Bank Comptroller Election, 1857{{cite news|url= https://www.newspapers.com/clip/88998799/1857-election-results/ |title= Official State Canvass |newspaper= Janesville Gazette |date= December 17, 1857 |accessdate= November 15, 2021 |via= Newspapers.com }}}}
| colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;"| General Election, November 3, 1857
{{Election box winning candidate with party link|
|party = Democratic Party (United States)
|candidate = Joel C. Squires
|votes = 44,859
|percentage = 50.47%
|change =
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Republican Party (United States)
|candidate = J. P. McGregor
|votes = 44,024
|percentage = 49.53%
|change =
}}
{{Election box plurality
|votes = 835
|percentage = 0.94%
|change =
}}
{{Election box total
|votes = 88,883
|percentage = 100.0%
|change =
}}
{{Election box hold with party link no swing|
|winner = Democratic Party (United States)
}}
{{Election box end}}
{{Election box begin | title=Wisconsin Bank Comptroller Election, 1859{{cite news|url= https://www.newspapers.com/clip/53190982/wisconsin-state-election-results-1859/ |title= The Result of the State Canvass |newspaper= Wisconsin State Journal |date= December 3, 1859 |page= 1 |accessdate= November 15, 2021 |via= Newspapers.com }}}}
| colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;"| General Election, November 8, 1859
{{Election box winning candidate with party link|
|party = Republican Party (United States)
|candidate = Gysbert Van Steenwyk Sr.
|votes = 59,697
|percentage = 53.03%
|change = +3.50%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Democratic Party (United States)
|candidate = Joel C. Squires (incumbent)
|votes = 52,880
|percentage = 46.97%
|change = -3.50%
}}
{{Election box plurality
|votes = 6,817
|percentage = 6.06%
|change = +5.12%
}}
{{Election box total
|votes = 112,577
|percentage = 100.0%
|change = +26.66%
}}
{{Election box gain with party link no swing|
|winner = Republican Party (United States)
|loser = Democratic Party (United States)
}}
{{Election box end}}
=Wisconsin Assembly (1869, 1870)=
{{Election box begin | title=Wisconsin Assembly, Grant 1st District Election, 1869{{cite report|url= http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/WI.WIBlueBk1870 |title= The Legislative Manual of the State of Wisconsin |year= 1870 |publisher= State of Wisconsin |chapter-url= https://images.library.wisc.edu/WI/EFacs/WIBlueBks/BlueBks/WIBlueBk1870/reference/wi.wibluebk1870.i0020.pdf |chapter= Official Directory |page= 362 |accessdate= November 15, 2021 }}}}
| colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;"| General Election, November 2, 1869
{{Election box winning candidate with party link|
|party = Democratic Party (United States)
|candidate = Joel C. Squires
|votes = 465
|percentage = 51.55%
|change =
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Republican Party (United States)
|candidate = William E. Carter
|votes = 437
|percentage = 48.45%
|change =
}}
{{Election box plurality
|votes = 28
|percentage = 3.10%
|change =
}}
{{Election box total
|votes = 902
|percentage = 100.0%
|change =
}}
{{Election box gain with party link no swing|
|winner = Democratic Party (United States)
|loser = Republican Party (United States)
}}
{{Election box end}}
{{Election box begin | title=Wisconsin Assembly, Grant 1st District Election, 1870{{cite report|url= http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/WI.WIBlueBk1871 |title= The Legislative Manual of the State of Wisconsin |year= 1871 |publisher= State of Wisconsin |chapter-url= https://images.library.wisc.edu/WI/EFacs/WIBlueBks/BlueBks/WIBlueBk1871/reference/wi.wibluebk1871.i0018.pdf |chapter= Official Directory |page= 376 |accessdate= November 15, 2021 }}}}
| colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;"| General Election, November 8, 1870
{{Election box winning candidate with party link|
|party = Republican Party (United States)
|candidate = Joseph Harris
|votes = 567
|percentage = 65.78%
|change = +17.33%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Democratic Party (United States)
|candidate = Joel C. Squires (incumbent)
|votes = 295
|percentage = 34.22%
|change = -17.33%
}}
{{Election box plurality
|votes = 272
|percentage = 31.55%
|change = +28.45%
}}
{{Election box total
|votes = 862
|percentage = 100.0%
|change = -4.43%
}}
{{Election box gain with party link no swing|
|winner = Republican Party (United States)
|loser = Democratic Party (United States)
}}
{{Election box end}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{s-start}}
{{s-par|us-wi-hs}}
{{s-bef|before = Joseph Harris }}
{{s-ttl|title = {{nowrap|Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly}} {{nowrap|from the Grant 1st district}} |years= January 3, 1870{{spaced ndash}}January 2, 1871 }}
{{s-aft|after = Joseph Harris }}
{{s-par|us-wi-sen}}
{{s-bef|before = John H. Rountree }}
{{s-ttl|title = {{nowrap|Member of the Wisconsin Senate}} {{nowrap|from the 6th district}} |years= January 5, 1852{{spaced ndash}}January 3, 1853 }}
{{s-aft|after = Duncan Reed }}
{{s-bef|before = John Sharpstein }}
{{s-ttl|title = {{nowrap|Member of the Wisconsin Senate}} {{nowrap|from the 16th district}} |years= January 3, 1853{{spaced ndash}}May 1, 1853 }}
{{s-aft|after = James Wilson Seaton }}
{{s-off}}
{{s-bef|before = William M. Dennis }}
{{s-ttl|title = {{nowrap|Bank Comptroller of Wisconsin}} |years= January 4, 1858{{spaced ndash}}January 2, 1860 }}
{{s-aft|after = Gysbert Van Steenwyk Sr. }}
{{s-end}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Squires, Joel}}
Category:Democratic Party members of the Wisconsin State Assembly
Category:Democratic Party Wisconsin state senators
Category:Politicians from Platteville, Wisconsin